Openness describes a
person’s tendency to think in abstract, complex ways. High scorers tend to be
creative, adventurous, and intellectual. They enjoy playing with ideas and
discovering novel experiences. Low scorers tend to be practical, conventional,
and focused on the concrete. They tend to avoid the unknown and follow
traditional ways.

Openness is strongly
related to a person’s interest in art and culture. People who are high in
openness tend to enjoy the arts and seek out unusual, complex forms of self-expression.
People who are low in openness are often suspicious of the arts and prefer to
focus on more practical pursuits.

Because your score is in
the midrange, it is likely that you do not stand out as either a particularly
imaginative, nor a particularly conservative person. You probably do not
consider yourself to be particularly creative or unconventional. You probably
also do not appear especially conservative or narrow in your interests.

You Are Low in
Conscientiousness

Your score for
conscientiousness was low, at 25%.

Conscientiousness
describes a person’s ability to exercise self-discipline and control in order
to pursue their goals. High scorers are organized and determined, and are able
to forego immediate gratification for the sake of long-term achievement. Low
scorers are impulsive and easily sidetracked.

People who are low in
Conscientiousness are usually:

Impulsive

Disorganized

Spontaneous

Carefree

People who are low in
Conscientiousness are more likely to develop addictions of all kinds, as they
have trouble resisting the impulse to engage in pleasurable activities. They
also have more disorganized homes and offices. On the other hand, they tend to
be more flexible and spontaneous, and do well in unpredictable environments
where they must respond to constantly changing circumstances.

You Are Low in
Extraversion

Your score for
Extraversion was low, at 40%.

Extraversion describes a
person’s inclination to seek stimulation from the outside world, especially in
the form of attention from other people. Extraverts engage actively with others
in order to earn friendship, admiration, power, status, excitement, and romance.
Introverts tend to conserve their energy, and do not work as hard to earn these
social rewards.

People who are low in
Extraversion tend to be:

Reserved

Independent

Quiet

Deliberate

Extraversion seems to be
related to the emotional payoff that a person gets from achieving a goal,
especially a goal that involves other people. People who are high in
Extraversion are thrilled by achievements like getting a promotion, landing a
new mate, or receiving an award. People who are low in Extraversion do not experience
the same “high” from these experiences, and so do not put in as much effort to
pursue them.

People who are low in
Extraversion tend to be fairly independent, and do not need a lot of admiration
or recognition from others in order to feel satisfied. They tend not to be
interested in money or status, and would rather lead a life that is personally
pleasing than one that gains them the attention of others.

You Are High in
Agreeableness

Your score for
Agreeableness was high, at 75%.

Agreeableness describes a
person’s tendency to put others’ needs ahead of their own, and to cooperate
rather than compete with others. People who are high in Agreeableness
experience a great deal of empathy and tend to get pleasure out of serving and
taking care of others.

People who are high in
Agreeableness tend to be:

Kind

Sensitive

Cooperative

Compassionate

Agreeableness is a good
predictor of the quality of relationships: people high in the trait are more
likely to keep friends and less likely to fall out with people. They are more
likely to think of other people kindly and to be forgiving of faults or
slights.

You Are High in
Neuroticism

Your score for Neuroticism
was high, at 68%.

Neuroticism describes a
person’s tendency to experience negative emotions, including fear, sadness,
anxiety, guilt, and shame. While everyone experiences these emotions from time
to time, people high in Neuroticism seem especially prone to them.

High Neuroticism scorers
seem to react more strongly to situations and events that have the potential to
provoke negative emotions. For instance, they would be more likely to feel
threatened by a stranger passing on the street, or to interpret a comment from
a colleague as an insult. High Neuroticism people have emotional systems that
are on high alert, looking for danger and peril at every turn.

People high in Neuroticism
are also more likely to doubt themselves and their abilities. They often feel
personally responsible for their own bad luck, and feel a sense of shame when
things don’t turn out the way they’d like.

While Neuroticism is not
generally thought of as an asset, there are positive points. People high in
Neuroticism are unlikely to overlook the perils of life, and tend to be
realistic about the problems and limitations in the world. There is also some
evidence that Neuroticism can push people to higher levels of achievement,
provided they are generally well-adjusted. It seems the fear of failure can
provide an important source of motivation.